Day 38 Bible Readings – Job 42: 1-3 (ESV)

Job 40-42, Matthew 25, Psalm 24

Job 42: 1-3 (ESV)

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

In verses 1 through 3 from Job 42 Job told God that he realized all things came from God, good and bad. Job confessed to God that he did not understand how powerful God is, when he doubted God for all the bad things that was happening to him. Job ended up having to tell God how repentant he was having doubted him. I think the story of Job reminds us that we need to not lose our faith in God when bad things happen to us. We cannot assume that God has lost control of our life and allowed these bad things to happen us. We cannot make assumptions about the reasons that bad things happen in our life. We instead need to have constant faith that no matter what happens in our life, God is in control. We cannot presume to know God’s mind, God’s plan for our life. But what we can know is that our God is all powerful and is in control of everything that is happening in our life. All of it, including the bad things. Everything has a purpose in our life, and we need to faith that God knows what is happening to us and it’s all part of God’s plan for our life.

Day 37 Bible Readings – Psalm 23: 1-4 (ESV)

Job 37-39, Matthew 24: 32-51, Psalm 23

Psalm 23: 1-4 (ESV)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

What is it about Psalm 23 that brings tears to my eyes, especially verses 1-4. It could be all the times I’ve heard this Psalm recited at funeral church services, which brings up memories of the people who died. Hollywood has even woven Psalm 23 into many scenes where people are at their lowest, and we watch on screen how just saying Psalm 23 brings comfort to the fictional characters in the film. Or maybe it is all the times I’ve opened my Bible to find Psalm 23 so I could read it and bring comfort to my troubled mind.

There is something so soothing to my mind to think about God as a good shepherd, who looks to all of my needs and who will protect me through all evil. Even though I often think of myself as that one lost sheep that the shepherd has to leave the whole flock to find. That black sheep who keeps constantly wanting to go their own way and always wants to leave the safety of the shepherd and flock to chase that shiny thing out there. The black sheep who is  always thinking there are greener pastures out there than the fine green pasture the shepherd has found for me.

 I often think I ought to memorize Psalm 23 so its words can easily to my mind when I am troubled. But I love the physical act of opening my Bible to find Psalm 23. To read it with my eyes and mind first, and then to finally read it out loud reverently and with tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat through every word. That is power of Psalm 23 for me.

Day 36 Bible Readings – Matthew 24: 9-10 (ESV)

Job 34-36, Matthew 24: 1-31, Psalm 22: 22-31

Matthew 24: 9-10 (ESV)

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.”

Verses 9 through 11 from Matthew 24 shows Jesus warning his disciples what to expect after he dies and is resurrected and when he comes back for the second time. It makes me wonder if the disciples realized at that moment what was going to happen to them. If they didn’t then, they would eventually when they were hunted down by the Church leaders and the Romans. All of the disciples except John suffered horrible deaths. John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos and wrote Revelations, but then he was let go and died of old age. Many early followers of Christ were persecuted and eventually fell away and betrayed their fellow Christians to the authorities.

The persecution of believers in Jesus Christ still happens today. Many Christians have been jailed trying to spread the faith. In our modern Western world to be a believer in Jesus Christ is go against the current cultural milieu, although that attitude is slowly changing. Many people say the Bible is not relevant for us today, but the persecution of believers in Christ prove this falsehood wrong. Jesus predicted his followers will be hated, and that persecution still happens today.

Day 35 Bible Readings – Matthew 23: 8-10 (ESV)

Job 31-33, Matthew 23, Psalm 22: 12-21

Matthew 23: 8-10 (ESV)

“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.”

In verses 8 through 10 from Matthew 23, Jesus told his disciples and crowds gathered around him that God is the most important person in our life. We can respect rabbis and other religious leaders for their knowledge and desire to teach about God, but God is our true teacher. We can also learn from each other for we all brothers and sisters. You can respect your biological father, but our true father who will take care of and protect is God who is in heaven. We can also respect instructors, but our true instructor is Christ. God needs to be first and foremost in our life. We need to consult God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for everything going on in our lives. Christ is our true teacher, our true father, and our true instructor. I have found this advice to be true in my life. Every time I followed the God’s advice, every decision has always worked out for the better. Even if God’s advice was sometime contradictory to what religious leaders were advising, what family was wanting, and what instructors were warning about. God’s way has always been the way for me go for everything in my life.